Small claims, traffic and civil courts to close in Palo Alto, Morgan Hill

By Tracey Kaplan tkaplan@mercurynews.com

Posted:
08/05/2014 04:31:01 PM PDT

Updated:
08/05/2014 05:05:17 PM PDT

In the first of several expected cuts in service, Santa Clara County Superior Court officials announced Tuesday they will close traffic, small claims and civil divisions in Palo Alto and Morgan Hill, forcing residents on the Peninsula and in South Santa Clara County to drive longer distances to have their cases heard.

The courtrooms are set to close indefinitely starting Oct. 6 because of cutbacks in state funding.

But the pain is just beginning. The closures will save only $1.8 million of the $8.5 million the court has to slash this fiscal year from its $100 million budget.

"We're looking at every courtroom, every courthouse and every service we provide," said Presiding Judge Brian C. Walsh. "The public is going to feel it in longer lines and slower processing of cases. We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause."

Worse yet, the court also plans to help make up for the remaining $6.7 million shortfall by stepping up its collection efforts on traffic tickets.

The closures mean residents in South County will have to drive to downtown San Jose for civil and small claims matters, and even farther to Santa Clara to contest traffic tickets.

Peninsula residents also will have to go to downtown San Jose for small claims and to Santa Clara for traffic court.

About 22 people will be reassigned as a result of the closures to fill existing vacancies. The court now has 650 employees, down from 858 in 2008. But it must reduce its already depleted staff by another 55 workers. Walsh said the plan is to do so through attrition, not layoffs.

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Although funding for the judicial branch increased overall in 2014-15, Santa Clara County Superior Court didn't benefit because of a recently revised allocation formula, which divides the funds among the 58 county branch courts based on workload and need.

Until now, Santa Clara County had been able to reduce the impact by spending its reserve funds and cutting 28 percent of its staff through attrition. Meanwhile, other counties that were less well-positioned had it worse, including Contra Costa County, which no longer provides court reporters in family, civil or probate cases, forcing people to pay for their own. Statewide, 51 courthouses have closed, and courts in 30 counties have reduced public service hours.

"It's a sad moment for Superior Court and the people we serve," Walsh said.